Category: Medical

Iran has denounced an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin as 'a criminal act' and 'a clear example of state terrorism.'

Nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank early Monday, including eight in Jenin, according to the Health Ministry. At least 50 other Palestinians were injured.

'This is a criminal act and a clear example of state terrorism,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told reporters in Tehran.

Kanaani said the Palestinians 'have not committed any crime except defending their recognized legal rights and natural rights.'

The Iranian spokesman said that the Palestinians will 'once again impose defeat" on Israel.

He said the international community is 'responsible for the barbaric attack on the Palestinian nation,' while calling on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to 'act seriously and effectively' to stop the Israeli assaults against Palestinians.

'The latest attacks against the defenseless city of Jenin have shown once again that peace and compromise and normalization are neither deterrent nor effective in shutting down the war machine of the Zionist (Israeli) regime,' Kanaani noted.

The latest Israeli military operation came only days after the leaders of Gaza-based Islamic Jihad and Hamas groups, Ziad Nakhalah and Ismail Haniyeh, visited Tehran and held wide-ranging talks with top Iranian officials.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

Nearly 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry. At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Our aim through the European plan to fight cancer is to have equal treatment in all member states in dealing with the disease, EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakes said on Thursday, speaking as part of a tour in Paphos, adding that prevention and diagnosis are of huge importance in the fight against cancer. Kyriakides first visited the offices of the Paphos Pancyprian Association of Cancer Patients and Friends (PASYKAF), expressing her satisfaction with the work being done on palliative care issues. "Paphos is a province quite remote from the oncology centres and has peculiarities in terms of patients' treatment," she said, adding that within the framework of the European Cancer Plan and for the first time with a funding of more than pound 5 billion, they are approaching cancer from prevention issues to palliative care and patient-centred quality of life. The Commissioner then visited the Mammography Control Centre in Yeroskipou, which she described as a model, adding it is a great satisfaction as Commissioner for Health and Food Safety to see in her own country a Mammography Control Centre that actually provides its services according to the standards set. Kyriakides said that services were already being offered to women aged 45-74 years and that population-based breast cancer screening programmes had been expanded. She went on to congratulate the staff of the Mammography Screening Centre in Yeroskipou and the Director of the Ministry of Health, Christina Giannaki, for her personal oversight. Asked how Cyprus is responding to the issues of prevention and treatment, Kyriakides replied that through a specific program identifying inequalities on issues related to oncology services in the Member States, the goal of the European Commission is to assess the situation in each country and see how they can offer support, so that all patients, regardless of the country in which they live, have exactly the same and equal treatment. In addition, she said that on the issues of population screening for breast cancer, Cyprus has a programme that has been running since 2003-2004, adding that the centres have been upgraded with very modern mammographs and meet and follow the age standards. EU Health Commissioner also sent the message that if women receive an invitation from the Ministry of Health to have a mammogram, they should do so since, as reiterated, early diagnosis saves lives. 'We should be proud that as Cypriots we have these possibilities', he concluded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Donors on Monday pledged nearly $1.5 billion in aid for the humanitarian response to Sudan and the neighboring nations hosting refugees fleeing the conflict in the country, the UN relief chief said.

"I'm pleased to say that today, donors have announced close to $1.5 billion for the humanitarian response to Sudan and the region," Martin Griffiths said in his closing remarks.

"This crisis will require sustained financial support and I hope that we can all keep Sudan at the top of our priorities," Griffiths said, welcoming the commitment voiced by the member states and partners during the conference.

Praising the total amount of pledge, Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said: "Now funds must be very urgently allocated and disbursed so that more aid can reach those in dire need in Sudan and in neighboring countries."?

The donor conference in Geneva was co-hosted by Egypt, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the EU.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15. Nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in the violence, according to local medics.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Morocco and Israel have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance their cooperation in the field of health.

The deal was signed between Moroccan Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb and his Israeli counterpart Moshe Arbel, who is currently visiting the North African nation.

In a statement, the Moroccan Health Ministry said the agreement allows for the exchange of expertise and best practices in medical and technological innovation, and the fight against non-communicable diseases.

According to the statement, the two ministers discussed bilateral efforts in managing public health issues and enhancing innovation in the health field.

Ties between Morocco and Israel have improved in recent months after the two countries signed a US-sponsored agreement to normalize their relations.

Morocco was the fourth Arab country to normalize ties with Tel Aviv in 2020 after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, in a move decried by Palestinians as a 'stab in the back.'

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Source: Anadolu Agency

Minister of Health Popi Kanaris said that a great number of well recognised health scientists and researchers, with tremendous contribution in medical sciences, have their roots in Cyprus while the island's EU membership as well as the implementation of the General Healthcare System make it a robust medical knowledge and healthcare provision hub. She made the remark addressing the 3rd Cyprus International Medical Forum, a meeting that can be a catalyst, she said, towards promoting Cyprus as a Center of Medical and Scientific Excellence. Kanaris said the meeting is expected to promote investment in the health care and increase Cyprus' visibility in the medical market. The Minister noted that the geographical position of Cyprus being in the far most eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea at the crossroad of Europe, Asia and Africa guarantee the easy access to the Country and the travelling to neighbouring countries. Acknowledging that well recognised health scientists and researchers, with tremendous contribution in medical sciences have roots in Cyprus, she said along "with its membership in the European Union and the implementation of a General Healthcare System, makes it a strategically important country but also a robust medical knowledge and healthcare provision hub." Referring to the fourth anniversary since the implementation of GeSY, she said it is here to promote universal health coverage and address the existing inequalities of health care coverage amongst the population, while is based on the principles of Universality, Equality, Solidarity and Free Choice of healthcare provider. At the same time, the Minister added, this system is enriched by highly qualified doctors and healthcare professionals, as well as advanced medical technology and healthcare facilities that classify it into a social innovation. In his remarks, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis said that his ministry is interested to explore more the great potential of this kind of tourism service. "Internationally Medical Tourism has emerged as a major industry with many individuals all over the world, deciding to combine their holidays with high-quality medical care," he said. Medical tourism, also contributes to the enrichment of the level of services offered, improving the domestic tourism product and extending the tourism season, which is one of the biggest challenges for the tourist sector in Cyprus, he added. Health and wellness tourism is one of the special priority products based on the National Tourism Strategy 2020-2030, he said and explained that medical tourism appears in different types, bariatric surgery, rehabilitation, diagnostics and other treatments. Furthermore, he said his ministry is willing to promote more intensively Cyprus as a Medical Tourism destination, and for this purpose it is preparing a new action plan for the coming months. It will also announce a new grant scheme under the Recovery and Resilience Plan to offer the opportunity to hotels all over Cyprus to create medical and rehabilitation facilities. Commissioner for the Environment, Maria Panayiotou, emphasised the inseparable connection between the environment and human health. "Our environment plays a critical role in shaping our well-being, and it is our duty to preserve and protect it for future generations," she said, adding "the future of medicine in Cyprus encompasses medical tourism and the hospital and clinic facilities of 2030 and as we discuss the potential of medical tourism, it is crucial that we consider the environmental impacts of increased travel and urged participants to consider the vital role of environmental sustainability in healthcare practices".

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Airway Therapeutics Completes Enrollment in Phase 1b Trial of Zelpultide Alfa (AT-100) for Very Preterm Infants at Risk for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Favorable safety profile confirmed also in fourth and final cohort including babies born at earliest gestational age of 23 to 24 weeks

Interim analysis is complete and full results are expected by October 2023

Company expects to begin a Phase 3 trial by end of 2023

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Airway Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of biologics to break the cycle of injury and inflammation for patients with respiratory and inflammatory diseases, announced today it successfully completed enrollment in its Phase 1b trial of zelpultide alfa for preventive use in very preterm infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

The last of 12 patients recruited into the fourth and final cohort of the study has been treated. These infants, born at 23 to 29 weeks, received daily treatment up to 7 days at the highest dose of zelpultide alfa (rhSP-D). The fourth cohort began recruitment March 28, 2023, following a Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) report finding no safety concerns at the conclusion of the trial's dose escalation portion, and included the extremely preterm neonates born as early as weeks 23 and 24.

'We are very pleased to report that the recruitment of the first clinical study with zelpultide alfa has been successfully completed according to protocol,' said Airway CEO and Chief Medical Officer Marc Salzberg, M.D. 'This is another major step in the development of this novel drug for the prevention of BPD in very preterm born babies.'

An interim analysis of the Phase 1b has been completed, and full trial results are expected by October 2023. The company plans to begin a Phase 3 trial by the end of 2023 which will involve at least 80 hospitals in North America and across Europe.

As many as 2.5 million very preterm infants globally are at risk of developing BPD from lung damage caused by mechanical ventilation and oxygen support. Babies who develop BPD can suffer lifelong complications such as asthma and pneumonia as well as growth and developmental problems.

Zelpultide alfa is a recombinant version of the endogenous human SP-D, a protein essential to the lung's immune defense in reducing inflammation and infection while modulating immune responses. The biologic is administered intratracheally during mechanical ventilation.

The Phase 1b trial is a randomized, blinded, air-sham controlled study to establish the safety and tolerability of zelpultide alfa. A total of 37 infants were enrolled at 20 hospitals in the U.S. and Spain. The 25 infants in the dose escalation portion were born at 25 weeks to 29 weeks gestational age. The FDA and European Medicines Agency have granted orphan drug status to zelpultide alfa.

About Airway Therapeutics

Airway Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of biologics to break the cycle of injury and inflammation for patients with respiratory and inflammatory diseases, beginning with the most vulnerable populations. The company is advancing zelpultide alfa, a novel recombinant human protein hSP-D that reduces inflammation and infection in the body while modulating the immune response. Zelpultide alfa is Airway's first candidate in development for prevention of BPD in very preterm infants and for treatment of COVID/CAP in seriously ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

EU Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, will be officially launching the adoption and scaling up of the EU Digital COVID Certificate to the global level in Geneva in a meeting on Monday, the Cyprus News Agency has learned.

In practice, this means that the digital certificate which has become a global standard and is used by almost 80 EU and non-EU countries today, will become a tool for global cooperation on digital health policy.

More specifically, WHO is due to take up the technical framework of the EU Digital COVID Certificate as of 1 July 2023, in order to establish a new global system in digital health documentation, under the new WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network.

The aim of the initiative is for the tool to help address ongoing and future health threats, especially in case of a new international or global pandemic, as well as facilitate mobility and help deliver better public health for citizens worldwide.

The certificate was developed in record time during the most difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic and contributed to the effort by member states to reopen their economies and societies safely.

Commissioner Kyriakides and Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus had signed on December 2nd 2022 an agreement to deepen strategic cooperation between the EU and WHO, to strengthen the role of the WHO in the global health architecture, and promote the priorities of the EU Global Health Strategy.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

At least 11 people are dead and over a dozen wounded after an avalanche hit a herders camp in northern Pakistan, officials said Saturday.

An avalanche near the Shounter Valley Pass at the Bakarwal Camp site in the Gilgit Baltistan region hit a herders camp at a low elevation, the provincial government said in a statement.

'During the incident, 25 people of a Gujjar family with cattle who lived from Kashmir to Astore … got hit by the avalanche,' it said.

The statement said 11 people died and 13 were injured.

Local authorities have launched search efforts, with eight dead bodies recovered so far, while the search for the remaining missing people continues.

According to the statement, the 13 injured people were evacuated and moved to the District Headquarters Hospital Astore, where some are in critical condition.

The Pakistani Army also provided helicopters for immediate relief and rescue, but authorities said that it could not get to the site due to bad weather conditions.

Due to the remote location and difficult terrain, rescue teams are also still facing challenges moving heavy machinery to the affected areas, according to a local rescue official.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and directed local authorities to mobilize rescue and search teams to recover missing people.

In a statement, Sharif also directed health authorities to provide the best treatment facilities to the injured.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Ukrainian forces shelled Russia’s Belgorod Region on Saturday, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram post. The attack close to the border claimed one life and left three people injured, and was so intense that it prevented the official from reachingthe scene at first.

The deceased was a local factory security guard, who was walking along a street at the time of the attack, Gladkov said. Two minors – a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy – were hospitalized after the attack, the governor said, adding that the girl had suffered injuries to her legs while the boy had a concussion. One more injured person was treated on the spot, the governor’s statement added.

Ukrainian forces shelled the administrative center of the Shebekino district of Belgorod Region at least five times on Saturday alone, while the wider area has been shelled by mortar and artillery strikes over a hundred of times since Friday, Gladkov said in Telegram post.

“The first time we entered the town, we came under fire. Could not even get out of the car. The shells were exploding on the next street,” the official said.

The strikes damaged civilian infrastructure, including at least 11 apartment buildings and six private houses, as well as several shops, Gladkov said upon inspecting the aftermath. Two local industrial facilities were also hit in the attack, causing a fire and damaging a power grid.

Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been frequently targeted by Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks throughout the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Belgorod Region authorities reported multiple drone attacks this week alone. Several UAVs were intercepted over the regional capital. The attacks resulted in no casualties, according to official information.

The attacks followed a deadly cross-border raid by Ukrainian neo-Nazi-linked militants, killing at least one villager and injuring several others, which forced the local governor to briefly impose “anti-terrorism” regulations in the region.

The group used US-made vehicles in the assault. The Russian Defense Ministry released footage of several disabled US-made equipment units, including Humvees and at least one MaxxPro MRAP armored fighting vehicle.

Source: Russia Today